Shoe.



No. 7|6,528., Patented Dec. 23, {902. C. K. FLOWERS.

S H 0 E.

(Application filed Jan. 18, 1902.)

.(No Model.)

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U lTED STATES PATENT QFFICE.

CLARENCE KIRKWVOOD FLOWERS, OF ALEXANDRIA, VIRGINIA.

SHOE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 716,528, dated December 23, 1902.

Application filed January 18, 1902. Serial No. 90,299. (No model.)

T0 at whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, CLARENCE KIRKWOOD FLOWERS, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Alexandria, in the county of Fairfax, in the State of Virginia, have invented certain new and useful Irnprovements in Shoes, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to shoes which are closed by lacing-strings.

The principal object of the invention is to facilitate the closing and opening of a laced shoe, and to this end the lacing-string is interwoven with the quarters and tongue in such a manner as to serve simply as a drawing-string, avoiding the necessity of lacing and nnlacing the shoe at each putting on and taking off, respectively.

Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings represents a perspective view of a childs shoe embodying one form of this invention, the shoe being in open position. Fig. 2 represents a perspective view of another form of shoe embodying this invention, the shoe being in closed position. Fig. 3 represents an enlarged transverse section through the quarters and tongue of a closed shoe embodying this invention, said section being taken approximately on line A A of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 represents an enlarged perspective View of the tongue provided with extension side flaps adapted to cover the lacing-holes in the tongue and quar tors.

The same reference-numbers indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

The sole 10, the vamp 20, and quarters 30 and 40 may be of any suitable or ordinary construction. The quarters are preferably provided adjacent to their front edges with broad reinforcing-strips, as 31. Each quarter is preferably provided with a double row of lacing-holes, preferably disposed parallel to each other, or approximately so, the quarter 30 having an inner line of lacing-holes 32 adjacent to the instep edge of the quarter and an outer line of lacing-holes 33 opposite the spaces between the holes 32. The opposite quarter 40 also has an inner row of holes 42 adjacent to its instep edge and an outer row 43 disposed in alternation with the holes 42. A tongue 50, adapted to close the gap between the quarters over the instep, is provided near its opposite edges with rows of lacing-holes adapted to register with the inner rows of holes on the quarters when the shoe is tightly drawn in closed position, the holes 51 registering with the holes 32 of the quarter 30, as clearly shown in Figs. 1 and 3, and the holes 52 registering with the inner holes 42 of the quarter 40, as shown in Fig. 3. This tongue,

which may be permanently or detachably connected with the shoe, is preferably made in concave form to fit the foot and correspond with the quarters in both shape and material. This may be accomplished by cutting out a narrow longitudinal gusset and closing the gap by a central line of stitches 53, uniting the adjacent edges of the tongue. A thin lining 54, of kid, cloth, or other suitable material, is secured to the inner face of the tongue. The tongue is provided along opposite sides with extension-flaps 55 and 56, which cover the lacing-holes and protect the foot from contact with the eyelets and lacingstring. These flaps may be separate or integral, and they are stitched to the inner face of the tongue and underlie the instep edges of the quarters. The tongue may be provided with an exterior pocket 57 near its upper end for receiving the ends of the shoelacing.

The shoe, if desired, may be provided at the ankle with a top band 60, stitched to the top of the upper, the ends of said band being adapted to overlap, as shown in Fig. 1. In this case the forwardly-projecting underlapping end of the band is provided with buttons 61 and 62, and the overlapping rearwardly-projecting end thereof is provided with buttonholes 63 and 64, adapted to engage said buttons. This band covers the upper end of the tongue and the ends of the lacing-string and presents a neat top finish for the shoe. tongue may or may not be dispensed with.

In the use of this shoe a shoe-lacing'ZO of any ordinary or suitable construction is passed downward by its opposite ends through the eyelets of the inner series of lacing-holes 32 and 42 of the quarters, thence through the lowest eyelets of the tongue, which register with said quartereyelets, thence the ends are passed, respectively, underneath the tongue diagonally to the lowest eyelets 33 and 43 of the outer row of quarter-eyelets, thence upward through said eyelets, thence over the face of the quarters to the second eyelet of the inner row thereof, thence downward In this case the pocket on the through said eyelets and through the eyelets of the tongue registering therewith, and so on until the lacing operation is completed. Then the lacing-string is drawn taut, whereby the shoe is closed more or less tightly over the instep, and the ends of the lacing-string are then fastened in a bow-knot or by means of spring fastening devices on the shoe or otherwise. After the shoe is once laced in this manner or in any other suitable manner utilizing the same or an equivalent system of lacing-holes future lacing operations may be dispensed with, as the shoe can be removed from the foot and replaced thereon without unlacing and relacing the lacingstring. In removing the shoe from the foot the ends of thelacing-string are untied or detached from their fastening. Then said string may be loosened sufliciently to permit the removal or replacement of the shoe by grasping the tongue and pulling it forward. After the shoe is replaced on the foot it may be closed tightly over the instep by simply pulling the ends of the lacing-string, which thus serves as a drawing-cord.

Thetongue,com posed of leather corresponding with the upper and fashioned to fit the instep, closes the gap between the quarters and presents a pleasing appearance. The rows of lacing-holes in the tongue maybe placed at greater or less distances from the edges thereof, and shoes of the same size may be made to fit various insteps by varying the drawings of the lacing-string. The eyeletholes in the tongue may be slightly out of register with those at the edges of the quarters when the instep is high.

This system may be applied to shoes for adults as well as for children and will be found very convenient in use.

When theshoe is provided with two rows of lacing-holes along each side of the instepopening, the lacing-string runs more or less in a transverse direction, and consequently has a direct lateral tension on the quarters, which facilitates the closing of the shoe. Moreover, this construction presents an ornamental appearance.

I claim- 1. A shoe having an openingv and two rows of lacing-holes along each side thereof and provided with a tongue for closing said opening and having rows of lacing-holes adapted to cooperate respectively with the lacing-holes on opposite sides of said opening, whereby the lacing-string may be interwoven with the tongue and upper.

2. A shoe provided with an opening at the instep and with a tongue for closing said opening, the upper along each side of said opening being provided with two rows of lacing-holes and the tongue being provided with lacing-holes adapted to register with the outer row of lacing-holes in the upper.

3. A shoe provided with an opening at the instep and with a tongue for closing said opening the upper along the edges of said opening being provided with broad reinforcing-strips and with two rows of lacing-holes through each strip, the tongue being provided with lacing-holes adapted to cooperate with the lacing-holes of said strips for closing the shoe by means of a lacing-string.

4:. In a shoe, the combination of an upper provided with an instep-opening and with double rows of lacing-holes adjacent to said opening, a tongue for closing said opening provided with lacing-holes, and a lacingstring interwoven with said tongue and upper for fastening the shoe in closed position.

5. In a shoe the combination of an upper having an instep-opening and provided along the opposite edges of said opening with two rows of lacing-holes, the holes of one row being disposed in alternation with those of the other, a tongue for closing said opening provided with two rows of lacing-holes, and a lacing-string whereof one part is interwoven with the upper and tongue at one side of the instep-opening and the other part with the upper and tongue at the other side of said opening.

6. In a shoe, the combination of an upper having an instep-opening and provided along the opposite edges of said opening with two rows of lacing-holes, the holes of one row being disposed in alternation with those of the other, a tongue provided with two rows of lacing-holes a lacing-string whereof one part is interwoven with the upper and tongue at one side of the instep-opening and the other part with the upper and tongue at the other side of said opening, and a pocket in said tongue for receiving the ends of said lacing-string.

7. In a shoe, the combination of an upper having an instep-opening and provided with two rows of lacing-holes on opposite edges of said opening respectively, a tongue provided with rows of lacing-holes along its opposite edges, and a lacing-string interwoven with the adjacent edges respectively of the tongue and upper.

8. A shoe provided with an opening at the instep and with a tongue for closing said opening, the upper along each side of said opening being provided with two rows of lacing-holes and the tongue being provided with lacing-holes adapted toregister with the outer row of lacing-holes in the upper and with extension side flaps for covering said lacingholes.

9. A shoe whereof the upper is provided with an opening and with a tongue for closing said opening both the upper and tongue being provided with lacing-holes, whereby a lacing-string may be interwoven with the tongue and the upper and said tongue being provided with side flaps for covering said lacing-holes.

CLARENCE KIRKWOOD FLOWERS. Witnesses:

PAUL E. JOHNSON, E. J. W. CLARKSON.

ICC 

